Chapter 68 -- Curious Zane

Old man led Zane down the long passage of his house. Zane wondered where everyone else was. He couldn't hear anyone and he refused to believe that Old man lived here on his own.

He wanted to ask were his family was, however he decided to mind his own business for once, or not..

"Where is everyone?"

"They are in the underground training hall. That's where we are going right now" Old man answered.

Zane realized that Old man was talking about his other students while he was asking about his family. Zane sighed and nodded, it was best not to ask any more, he didn't want to pry, or not....

"I mean your family, were are they?...your wife and kids" Zane said. He saw it necessary to add the part about his wife and kids because he didn't want Old man to say something like 'my mother is dead'.

That would make the situation between them awkward as Zane wasn't good at consoling people.

"My wife is dead" 

"......"

"All my children are also long dead, just like my grandchildren" Old man said

<<You should really learn to stop asking questions so much>> Alex said. Zane could hear the disappointment in his mechanical voice.

"Old man i--" Zane stammered.

"Don't worry about it Zane. My last grandchild died more than 300 years ago. I have long since gotten over it" Old man smiled.

Zane didn't reply and just nodded before 'looking' around, 'How big is this house' he internally complained. They have been walking for over two minutes now.

"Old man" Zane said.

'This kid is going to be the death of me' Old man thought "What is it?, and no I don't have a girlfriend nor do i want to remarry"

Zane chuckled hearing Old man's claim "No I want to ask something Cultivation related. How come I haven't met any lightning Cultivators since i got to the city?"

Zane had been thinking about that ever since he saw the big battle between David's team and Peter's team. At first he thought that it was because he hadn't seen many Mages but now he was thinking it was something else.

If Adam hadn't asked him if he had the lightning element the first day they met, he would think the lightning element didn't exist in this world.

Old man sighed after hearing Zane's question. At least he didn't ask something he didn't want to answer.

"The lightning element is very rare Zane. For example right now in the whole city of Willow, there is only one lightning mage" Old man revealed.

"Why is it so rare?" Zane asked in shock. Willow was a big city, so for it to only have one lightning mage meant that lightning was a really rare element.

"No one knows the exact reason, but it's most likely to do with the fact that lightning is very powerful, fast and precise. In other words, lightning is deadly." 

Zane nodded in understanding, Lightning really was a powerful element. Someone with lightning should be stronger than someone of another element in the same rank.

"But Mages can use all elements..... Oww!" Zane suddenly felt something hit his arm. It was like his arm was getting burnt but only on one point. The pain also disappeared as fast as it came.

Zane also remembered seeing a bright flash of light for less than a millisecond.

"Did you feel that?, that was the full power attack of a rank four High Mage using the lightning element" Old man said.

"Wait that was your full power!?" Zane was shocked, literally and figuratively. However he obviously didn't for a single second think Old man was that weak.

"Yes that was the my full power using the lightning element. However if i used any other element in full power this whole house would be destroyed, and if I used the element i am specialized in, everything in a hundred meter radius would be incinerated" Old man boasted.

Zane didn't think Old man was overestimating himself. He still remembered the amount of damage caused by Peter's tier two spell so he roughly knew the power of a High Mage.

It was at this moment that Zane noticed they had stopped moving, he had been so engrossed by the lightning element's rarity that he didn't notice they had arrived in front of a door.

"Let's go in" Old man opened the door.

As soon as Old man opened the door Zane started hearing the sounds of people fighting and....fists bashing against each other. (Punch the inside of your wrist right now.... that's the sound)

Blowing mana into the room, Zane guessed it was about a hundred meters long and 60 wide. Zane wondered how they dug something like this under a house, but then remembered the phrase that answered everything in this world.

Zane looked around and saw 8 other mortals sparring with Mages. Weirdly enough, no mortal was training with another mortal only Mage versus mortal.

Zane saw one of the mages move close to them.

"Morning teacher" The mage did a slight bow to Old man. Zane knew this voice pretty well.

"I see I didn't fail teacher" The mage smiled while motioning towards Zane.

Before Old man could answer, Zane spoke.

"Ohh no you failed, I came here because of John" he said. This mage was the same person who invited Zane to this place back when he was with Chris. Zane remembered Old man and John calling him Kane.

Hearing Zane's words, Kane's smile disappeared and he sighed.

"Don't worry it's not on you. If i knew this was where John was taking me I wouldn't have come anyway." Zane shrugged.

Kane's smile returned as he faced Old man once more. He didn't say anything but one could tell from his expression that he was expecting something.

Old man sighed "Fine you will get your reward after the session"

"Thank you teacher" Kane smile widely.

"Welcome and good luck Zane" he said as he walked back to the mortal woman he was training. One could easily see the spring in his step.

"What is---" 

"Let's introduce you to everyone" Old man cut Zane's question. He was getting tired of answering his questions. The old man had honestly never talked this much in one day for the last hundred years.

Old man clapped his hand once, claiming the attention of everyone in the room. The mortals gathered closer while the mages just faced Old man from their positions.

"I would like to introduce one more contestant to you guys. This here is Zane" Old man introduced Zane.

"Teacher, at this time?. Isn't he too late" one of the mortals asked. He had been training for the last six months but he felt like he still wouldn't be ready in time for the test.

"Don't worry about that, if he fails, then he fails" Old man said. Then he suddenly snapped his fingers as he got an idea.

"How about instead of everyone fighting John for the spot of my participant, we hold our own little tournament. The winner of that tournament will then fight against John" Old man said, John had been complaining about having to beat up some mortals for the last few months.

The others didn't object and instead nodded their heads, they had wanted to know who was stronger between them but Old man forbade fighting between mortals.

"Teacher, I still think this blind dude is a waste of time for you though" another mortal said. They had noticed that Zane was blind on account of the cloth covering his eyes.

Old man wanted to repremand his student but Zane spoke before he could.

"Care to put your fist were your mouth is?" Zane said with a smirk, looking directly into the eyes of the young man who spoke, or rather looking directly at were he imagined the young man's eyes were located.